Monday, July 30, 2012

At the end of our first day on the road, and a few hours behind schedule, we arrived in Romney, WV, to visit my brother and his family. They were having a big Fourth of July bash, so we met lots of their friends and even got to see all three kids who were home for the weekend. My brother loves to play music, and I finally got to hear him perform live. It was very hot, so they played as long as they could without passing out. And we hung out outside as long as we could without passing out.

Wyle was a champ in the heat. She is not really used to it yet, but she didn't complain once. But it was a good thing she had just started using the sippy cup so she could hydrate. She did have a bit of a wardrobe malfunction, we'll say, and we were so grateful that my sister-in-law had just given Wyle a new outfit since we had left her suitcase at the hotel in town. You can see she was charming everyone she met. She liked Angie in particular.

I had never been to my brother's home before, so he gave us the grand tour. He is big into gardening, and sells his produce locally at the farmer's market. He showed us the garden closest to the house, but he has two more just as large in different locations. He also has chickens, despite attempts from his neighborhood bear to make a meal of them all. And he has an orchard that we didn't get to see since the sun was setting on us before we knew it. But you can see how his house is nestled between the hills, without a neighbor in sight, just the way he likes it. It was really nice for them to be able to play music as loud as they wanted and set off firecrackers without worrying about disturbing anyone. As I laid down to sleep that night, I was certainly thinking about moving out into the hills.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

We meandered south from Pittsburgh on the first leg of our roadtrip, taking the turnpike for just a short while before abandoning it for more scenic byways. I had mapped out what appeared on paper to be a tedious route, full of unneccesary turns and road changes, and I was sure we would be lost at some point in the day. We were on the way to visit my brother and his family in West Virginia, and the possible routes to get there seemed endless. I strung together an indirect route so we would pass through forests and along lakes. It really turned out to be a treat for the eyes, ranging from rolling farmland to dense woods, always following the contour of the hills in this area. We saw beautiful barns and old rusting vehicles as well as small towns and remote homesteads. What I wanted more than anything was for this drive to be relaxed, one where we would see interesting things and have time to stop and enjoy them. So often we are in a hurry to reach our destination, when what we want is to enjoy the journey. I was fortunate that both Mom and I had the time to spare, so we just planned for a long, slow trip so we could enjoy each others' company and of course savor Wyle's first long vacation. I'm so glad we did.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Hi everyone! I'm sorry I have been so scarce around here, but I've had a good reason. I was on a road trip! I've been longing to take a good old fashioned road trip since the winter. So I decided to drive from my home in Pittsburgh to my parents' home in South Carolina, with several stops along the way. My mom flew up so she could drive down with me, and it was Miss Wyle's first multi-day car trip, and it was exciting to share that with mom.

I planned the first leg of the trip to meander through PA, MD and WV, on two-lane roads through the forest and along a lake. One of our first breaks was a stop at this roadside produce stand. I was hoping to find ripe peaches but we were still a little far north for that. We did however get a few nectarines that were divine and a jug of cherry cider from Appleseeds' Farm that I was able to sample. It was unlike anything I had ever had before and I wish I had stocked up because it was so delicious.

Monday, July 2, 2012

It has been a while since you've seen Wyle, so I thought you were due for an update. She is now six months old, and getting so big! She will be crawling any day, and can manuever backwards already quite quickly. I can leave the room for just a minute and come back to find her five feet from where I left her. The days of letting her out of my sight are numbered!

She is in the 50th percentile for weight but the 90th percentile for height. That means she is wearing footie pajamas a size larger than she should because I can't cram her feet into the six-month sized ones.

She is beginning to communicate with us. She picked out her first book recently by deliberately grabbing it while I was reading a different book. It wasn't what she wanted to hear but when I started reading the book she grabbed, she was quite attentive.

The most exciting new development is that she began sleeping through the night this week! I went to feed her at midnight like I have been doing for the past three months, and she only drank a half an ounce and went back to sleep. I couldn't rouse her, so I let her sleep. I thought she'd wake back up in an hour, but I woke up at 7:45 when she awoke. And so we don't do an evening feeding anymore, which means I can get to bed before 1:30 in the morning. I have always been a night owl, but I am so excited to get to sleep early these days!

I try to find beauty in the everyday, primarily through my photography, which I share here. I also try to keep my brain thinking creatively every day, even if the rest of me is not in the mood, so the posts here are as much for me as they are for you.